Patents by Inventor Sean Sweetnam

Sean Sweetnam has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11942566
    Abstract: A method is provided for preparing at least one textured layer in an optoelectronic device. The method includes epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer of the optoelectronic device over a growth substrate; exposing the semiconductor layer to an etching process to create the at least one textured surface on the semiconductor layer; and lifting the optoelectronic device from the growth substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: UTICA LEASECO, LLC
    Inventors: Yan Zhu, Sean Sweetnam, Brendan M. Kayes, Melissa J. Archer, Gang He
  • Publication number: 20220099593
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for transmitting a light such that is incident on a semiconductor device, detecting a first reflected light from a first layer of the semiconductor device and a second reflected light from a second layer of the semiconductor device, identifying a defect in the first layer based on the first reflected light and the second reflected light, wherein the defect provides a shunt path between a top electrode to be deposited on the first layer and the second layer, and performing a defect reduction procedure on the semiconductor device to compensate for the defect in response to identifying the defect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Sean SWEETNAM, Octavi Santiago Escala SEMONIN, Vineet KUMAR, Gang HE, Melissa ARCHER
  • Publication number: 20210305452
    Abstract: A method is provided for preparing at least one textured layer in an optoelectronic device. The method includes epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer of the optoelectronic device over a growth substrate; exposing the semiconductor layer to an etching process to create the at least one textured surface on the semiconductor layer; and lifting the optoelectronic device from the growth substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Publication date: September 30, 2021
    Inventors: Yan ZHU, Sean SWEETNAM, Brendan M. KAYES, Melissa J. ARCHER, Gang HE
  • Patent number: 11038080
    Abstract: An optoelectronic device having a textured layer is described. In an aspect, a method may be used to produce the optoelectronic device, where the method includes epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer of the optoelectronic device on a growth substrate, and exposing the semiconductor layer to an etching process to create at least one textured surface in the semiconductor layer. The textured semiconductor layer can be referred to as a textured layer. The etching process is performed without the use of a template layer, or similar layer, configured as a mask to generate the texturing. The etching process can be done by one or more of a liquid or solution-based chemical etchant, gas etching, laser etching, plasma etching, or ion etching. The method can also include lifting the semiconductor layer of the optoelectronic device from the growth substrate by, for example, the use of an epitaxial lift off (ELO) process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: UTICA LEASECO, LLC
    Inventors: Yan Zhu, Sean Sweetnam, Brendan M. Kayes, Melissa J. Archer, Gang He
  • Publication number: 20170148930
    Abstract: An optoelectronic device having a textured layer is described. In an aspect, a method may be used to produce the optoelectronic device, where the method includes epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer of the optoelectronic device on a growth substrate, and exposing the semiconductor layer to an etching process to create at least one textured surface in the semiconductor layer. The textured semiconductor layer can be referred to as a textured layer. The etching process is performed without the use of a template layer, or similar layer, configured as a mask to generate the texturing. The etching process can be done by one or more of a liquid or solution-based chemical etchant, gas etching, laser etching, plasma etching, or ion etching. The method can also include lifting the semiconductor layer of the optoelectronic device from the growth substrate by, for example, the use of an epitaxial lift off (ELO) process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2017
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Yan ZHU, Sean SWEETNAM, Brendan M. KAYES, Melissa J. ARCHER, Gang HE
  • Publication number: 20120186642
    Abstract: A solar cell includes a support (6), a back electrode layer (5), at least a hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon photoelectric device (9), and a top electrode layer (11). The back electrode layer (5) has a rough surface. The solar cell includes, between the back electrode layer (5) and the hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon photoelectric device (9), an asymmetric intermediate layer (8), the intermediate layer (8) being adjacent to the hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon photoelectric device (9) and having a surface, on the side of the back electrode layer (5), having a roughness greater than the roughness of the surface of the intermediate layer (8) on the side of the hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon device (9). Such solar cells allow obtaining optimum Voc and FF parameters, while maintaining high current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE (EPFL)
    Inventors: Christophe Ballif, Franz-Joseph Haug, Sean Sweetnam, Thomas Söderström